Florida Trend articles from September 2006

Florida Trend archives from September 2006

Courting the U.K.(Corner Office)(Florida- U.K cooperation in business)
September 1, 2006... Recognizing the tremendous potential to expand Florida-United Kingdom trade and investment ties, Gov. Jeb Bush led a Team Florida United Kingdom Mission in July. Along with more than 100 Florida business and governmental leaders, scientists and...

Final Frontier.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... Thanks to FLORIDA TREND and Cynthia Barnett for the July cover story, "Final Frontier" [FloridaTrend.com], a very insightful, well-researched and written piece on what appears to be an ambitious plan to urbanize hundreds of thousands of acres...

Citizens insurance.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... I don't have a dog in this race, but an important part of the equation is missing from Mike Vogel's article ["An Unwise Growth Subsidy," July, FloridaTrend.com]. How much premiums revenue does Citizens derive from the building/construction...

Running for CFO.(Readers)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... I'm disappointed that you did not mention that I have over 35 years' experience dealing with insurance companies ["Bland Office, Not-So-Bland Candidates," Tallahassee Trend, July, FloridaTrend.com]. I have two insurance professional...

Defining moment.(Executive Lifestyles: Golden Years: What's After Retirement)
September 1, 2006... Manuel Iraola had always planned to retire by the time he was 55--and he did. a year early. Then one day he took up a longstanding offer from a friend to go for a ride in his single-engine plane. About 3,500 feet up, the plane began to...

Corporate to classroom.(Executive Lifestyles: Golden Years: What's After Retirement)
September 1, 2006... Tony Fontanella took an early retirement package at Verizon three years ago after working at the company for 27 years. "I saw an opportunity to do something different," says the former IT director. Fontanella followed a college dream and...

Giving back.(Executive Lifestyles: Golden Years: What's After Retirement)
September 1, 2006... Ned Sachs retired as managing director of European operations and tax counsel for Morgan Stanley in 1995 and moved to Naples with plans to travel the world. Instead, he's spent his "retirement" years raising funds for underserved children. ...

Retirement.(Executive Lifestyles: Golden Years: What's After Retirement)
September 1, 2006... 71% Baby Boomers who are not planning to completely exit the workforce upon retiring. 66% Those who want to work (or are working) in retirement who want to pursue a different line of work. 60% Those in the 51 to 70 age...

Cutting out surgery: new advances limit the number of side effects.(Executive Lifestyles: Health: Prostate Cancer)
September 1, 2006... Of all the U.S. men diagnosed with cancer this year, the largest number--33%--will have the disease in the prostate, according to the American Cancer Society. For many, the first reaction is to ask a doctor to cut out the cancerous cells....

More leisurely pace.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... When the Four Seasons Hotel Miami opened on Brickell Avenue almost three years ago, it was in the middle of a growing business district. Starting next month, the new Carnival Center for the Performing Arts on Biscayne Boulevard is expected to...

Travel aid.(LiftPack)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... LiftPack Website: liftpack.com Price: $39.95 Through patented built-in air bladder technology, LiftPack's backpacks prevent upper-back and shoulder strain, making users feel as if they're carrying half the weight in their...

C.(Sterling Cos.)(Panama City Beach resort)
September 1, 2006... Destin-based Sterling Cos. has unveiled plans for C, a Panama City Beach resort that will feature 1,700 second homes and vacation rentals as well as eight-passenger sky gondolas, a water park, a private club, retail stores, restaurants and a...

Florida Discovery Bicycle Center.(training and touring program)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The new Florida Discovery Bicycle Center (floridabicycle. org/discovery) in Lake Helen plans to introduce a training and touring program in November that is the first of its kind in Florida. It combines adult bicycle safety training and touring...

The Don CeSar Beach Resort on St. Pete Beach and Carillon Executive Health in St. Petersburg are offering a special through September for couples to improve both their health and well-being.
September 1, 2006... The Don CeSar Beach Resort on St. Pete Beach and Carillon Executive Health in St. Petersburg are offering a special through September for couples to improve both their health and well-being. The "Heart & Soul Getaway" package starts at $3,900...

Action at Jackson's.(Jackson's Restaurant )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Jackson's 400 S. Palafox St., Pensacola jacksonsrestaurant.com 850/469-9898 Florida's Mango Gang is not confined to the Gold Coast, although that's where it has the greatest name and fame for Floribbean fare. There are outlying...

Tall Horse.(Wine & Spirits)
September 1, 2006... Tall Horse South Africa $7.50 With just about 1.7% of the world's vineyards, South Africa is the world's eighth-largest wine producer and has joined the mass market circus with labels for its sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, cabernet...

Ron Zacapa Centenario.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Ron Zacapa Centenario Guatemala $39 Gold Medal winner made from virgin sugar cane syrup (not molasses) and aged in American oak barrels more than a mile high (7,600 feet) for 23 years--one of the world's premium rums. The main dishes...

Tolf's picks.(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... PENSACOLA Skopelos on the Bag 670 Scenic Highway 850/432-6565 skopelosrestaurant.com Gus Silivos is the third generation of the family carrying the Greek torch of culinary tradition in this immaculate waterfront outpost....

Making a connection.(Trendsetters: Environment/Engineers)
September 1, 2006... Unless you grew up in north Alabama, you missed W. Denney Pate's early work, building bridges across the creek in the woods and drawing bridge designs as a youngster. Very likely you're familiar with one of his later efforts: The Sunshine...

A series of firsts.(Trendsetters: Environment/Engineers)
September 1, 2006... Last year, Kim DeBosier made a bit of engineering history as the first woman named Engineer of the Year by the Florida Engineering Society. DeBosier, 50, a civil consulting engineer, has a career's worth of experience at being the first....

Shannon R. LaRocque.(Florida Engineering Society)(first woman Engineer of the Year)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... It took awhile for the Florida Engineering Society to name its first woman Engineer of the Year. Now it's awarded the honor to women for two consecutive years. Shannon R. LaRocque, Palm Beach County assistant county administrator, was given the...

Active voice: David Jaramillo.
September 1, 2006... IBM Software Group, Voice Solutions Development Senior software engineer, Boca Raton Age: 39. What he does: "I work on speech recognition technology. The latest stuff we're working on is integrating the speech technology into your...

T. William fair: president, Urban League of Greater Miami; member, state Board of Education; age 67.(Icon)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... When I came in 1963 to this community, we had a small staff of three people and very few services. Less than 10 years later, we were the largest not-for-profit in Liberty City--476 full-time people, 35 part-time people and four consultants. I...

Momentum in space.(EXPLORATION)
September 1, 2006... After years of fragmented and often unsuccessful efforts to attract business tied to space exploration, Florida has a stronger focus and more than $40 million to spend. Just in time. NASA seems close to announcing the prime contractor for...

Progress Energy Florida.(Crop-Fueled)
September 1, 2006... Progress Energy Florida has signed a 25-year contract with Biomass Investment Group to purchase electric energy generated by a crop-fueled power plant to be built near Lake Okeechobee. Gulf Breeze-based Biomass will start construction early...

BB&T Florida President William R. Klich has dropped his role as Gulf Coast Region president to concentrate on the Florida market.(resignation of William R. Klich)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... BB&T Florida President William R. Klich has dropped his role as Gulf Coast Region president to concentrate on the Florida market. Ken Coppedge, formerly president of BB&T's Orlando-based East Florida Region, has succeeded Klich as president of...

University of South Florida.(Players)
September 1, 2006... Gov. Job Bush has appointed Robin Murphy, University of South Florida professor of computer science and director of the USF Institute for Safety Security Rescue Technology, to the new 12-member Space Florida Board of Directors.

Dissecting Florida.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Florida's regions have many distinct characteristics. The north (counties above Levy, Marion and Volusia) has the largest percentage of residents younger than age 15 and the smallest percentage of those 65 and older. Almost half of its...

Pollution.(Around the State: Statewide News)
September 1, 2006... 235.6 Millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide Florida emitted in 2001 No. 2 Florida's rank nationally in percentage increase in carbon dioxide emissions between 1960 and 2001 170,587 Millions of miles driven on Florida...

As of March, Miami/Fort Lauderdale was the second-biggest market for condo/hotel purchases in the U.S., followed by Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... CONDO/HOTELS--As of March, Miami/Fort Lauderdale was the second-biggest market for condo/hotel purchases in the U.S., followed by Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg. Purchasers tend to assume that rents will generate profits for them, however...

Hispanic grads--Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine has named nine Florida universities among the top 100 colleges in the United States.(EDUCATION)
September 1, 2006... HISPANIC GRADS--Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine has named nine Florida universities among the top 100 colleges in the United States awarding degrees to Hispanics in 2004-05: Florida International University, No. 1 (2,677 degrees);...

Off-limits--A new state law makes it illegal for Florida universities to use state money.(TRAVEL)
September 1, 2006... OFF-LIMITS--A new state law makes it illegal for Florida universities to use state money to travel to any of five countries listed as a state sponsor of terrorism--including Cuba--by the U.S. State Department.

Strong ambitions.(GOVERNMENT)(Miami-Bade County Mayor's vision)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Miami-Bade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez's plan to create a strong-mayor form of government, after surviving a union-backed court challenge, continues to enjoy support in opinion polls as it makes its way to the ballot--possibly as early as this...

Paying a high price.(Statistical table)
September 1, 2006... HEALTHCARE Paying a High Price Miami is one of four Florida cities ranked among the top 55 most expensive for health insurance. Average monthly premiums for a family of four. Health ...

U.S. Conference of Mayors.(appointment of Manny Diaz)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Miami Mayor Manny Diaz has been elected chairman of the advisory board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, putting him in line to be the group's president for the term beginning in 2008. The conference is a lobbying and support organization of...

NATO.(Players)
September 1, 2006... Army Gen. Bantz J. "John" Craddock, chief of Miami's U.S. Southern Command, has been named NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. He also has been nominated to serve as chief of the U.S. European Command, which oversees U.S. military activity...

New contract.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Florida International University President Mitch Maidique has agreed to a new three-year contract that could pay him more than $500,000 a year in base salary, bonuses and supplemental compensation. Maidique has won praise for helping FIU win...

Entrepreneur hotbeds.(BUSINESS CREATION)
September 1, 2006... BUSINESS CREATION Entrepreneur Hotbeds In a study of new-business ventures, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area ranks 11th among the nation's 15 largest metropolitan areas. ...

Deputy county manager now city manager.(appointment of Pete Hernandez)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The city commission has appointed a new city manager, veteran Deputy Miami-Dade County Manager Pete Hernandez, who replaces Joe Arriola. Under the city charter, Hernandez will be responsible for all day-to-day operations and hiring and firing...

Sonesta Beach Resort Key Biscayne.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... KEY BISCAYNE -- It's uncertain what shape redevelopment of Sonesta Beach Resort Key Biscayne will take after Sonesta International Hotels and Fortune International Realty withdrew plans to build a six-tower condo/hotel project in the face of...

Deputy City Manager Linda Haskins.(appointment of Linda Haskins)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... MIAMI -- Deputy City Manager Linda Haskins will fill the seat vacated by Commissioner Johnny Winton, who was suspended from office by Gov. Jeb Bush following Winton's arrest on charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and disorderly...

Miami-based law firm Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson has been awarded $249 million in legal fees for its representation of gas station owners in their class-action case against ExxonMobil.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Miami-based law firm Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson has been awarded $249 million in legal fees for its representation of gas station owners in their class-action case against ExxonMobil. The case was settled earlier this...

The cruise industry's two leading trade groups--International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) and Cruise Lines international Association (CLIA)--will merge under the CLIA name and move its combined headquarters to the Miami area.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... MIAMI-DADE -- The cruise industry's two leading trade groups --International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) and Cruise Lines international Association (CLIA)--will merge under the CLIA name and move its combined headquarters to the Miami area....

Miami-Dade Housing Agency.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Two top officials at the Miami-Dade Housing Agency have been fired and two others placed on administrative leave amid allegations of widespread abuse within the county department charged with overseeing development of affordable housing. The...

Science & Nature Cosmetics.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... France's Science & Nature Cosmetics has selected Miami-Dade for its first U.S. office and distribution center. The company specializes in lotions, creams, serums and other skin-care products.

Delta Air Lines.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... MONROE COUNTY -- Delta Air Lines will launch daily service in November between Marathon and Atlanta, the first scheduled flights from the airport to a city outside Florida.

The heat retreats.(REAL ESTATE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Whether you call it a cooling off, slowdown or return to a more typical pace, the days of superheated, speculator-driven sales in south Florida's real estate market appear to be over for the moment. The signs are everywhere. Centex Homes...

Salaries.(EDUCATION)
September 1, 2006... BUSINESS CREATION Entrepreneur Hotbeds In a study of new-business ventures, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area ranks 11th among the nation's 15 largest metropolitan areas. ...

Hopeful homeowners.(REAL ESTATE)
September 1, 2006... * 58%--Percentage of Florida homeowners who believe the value of their homes will continue to rise over the next 12 months, despite indications that the state's unprecedented five-year housing boom is waning. * 49%--Percentage of West Palm...

Palm Beach Health Network.(Players)
September 1, 2006... Palm Beach Health Network has named Davide M. Carbone CEO of St. Mary's Medical Center in West PalmBeach. Carbone served as a vice president for HCA's East Florida Division before joining St. Mary's.

Florida Association of Professional Employer Organizations.(Players)
September 1, 2006... The Florida Association of Professional Employer Organizations has named Robert A. Beck II, founder of Fort Lauderdale-based AlphaStaff Group, to its board of directors.

1st United Bank.(Players)
September 1, 2006... 1st United Bank has hired David E. Webb as vice president and senior relationship manager of business banking in its North Palm Beach office. Webb had been a vice president and business banker at Mercantile Bank.

Seacoast Banking.(Players)
September 1, 2006... Stuart-based Seacoast Banking's board of directors has elected Edwin Walpole III to its board. Walpole is president and owner of Walpole Inc., a transportation company in Okeechobee.

Martin County Bar Association.(Players)
September 1, 2006... Members of the Martin County Bar Association have selected Portia B. Scott, of Scott & Scott in Stuart, as president-elect. Scott is the pro-bono chair for the 19th Judicial Circuit.

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... BOCA RATON -- Italian biotech company Kedrion will pay milestone and royalty payments to Nabi Biopharmaceuticals for its Civacir drug. Civacir is being developed to prevent the recurrence of hepatitis C-related liver disease for patients with...

Florida Atlantic University has reached an exclusive license agreement with CHS Resources for a cancer therapy developed at the university's center of excellence in biomedical and marine biotechnology.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Florida Atlantic University has reached an exclusive license agreement with CHS Resources for a cancer therapy developed at the university's center of excellence in biomedical and marine biotechnology. Boca Raton-based CHS Resources plans to...

Florida Atlantic University.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Florida Atlantic University is considering a massive redevelopment of its Boca Raton campus. The redevelopment would include a stadium, conference center/hotel and retail and condos. New York-based developer KUD International is pitching the...

Spirit Airlines.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... FORT LAUDERDALE -- Spirit Airlines will expand its Fort Lauderdale hub operation in December, adding second daily flights to Kingston, Jamaica; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Washington, D.C./ Reagan National; and New...

Montserrat.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Retzch Lanao Caycedo and Sharpe Project Developments have teamed up to develop Montserrat, a town home community with a Caribbean resort theme, in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Andrx Corp.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Pharmaceutical firm Andrx Corp. shareholders have approved a merger with Corona, Calif.-based Watson Pharmaceuticals.

Delta Air Lines.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... MIRAMAR -- Nearly 500 people will lose their jobs when Delta Air Lines closes its Miramar call center in September.

Power 1 Credit Union and Miami-based Pan Am Horizons Federal Credit Union are planning to merge.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... PEMBROKE PINES -- Power 1 Credit Union and Miami-based Pan Am Horizons Federal Credit Union are planning to merge. If approved by the National Credit Union Administration, the merger would create one of the largest credit unions in south...

130-acre city center project.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Calvin, Giordano & Associates' transportation planning and traffic engineering division will manage Pembroke Pines' $70-million, 130-acre city center project. Construction is set to begin in early 2007.

Parlux Fragrances.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... SUNRISE -- Parlux Fragrances sold its headquarters to an undisclosed buyer for $15 million. The sale comes after Ilia Lekach, the company's chairman and CEO, offered to buy all outstanding shares for $259.5 million.

Ion Media Networks.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... WEST PALM BEACH -- Ion Media Networks has gained broadcast rights to dozens of TV series and a large selection of feature films from Sony Pictures Television Library. The broadcaster, which operates the i network, struck a similar deal with...

Cruzan International.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Cruzan International has hired an investment banking firm to explore possible buyers for its Florida Distillers Co. The company bottles Cruzan rum and Seagram's vodka.

Commerce Bank.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Commerce Bank has created an international banking team in Florida to serve area clients doing business in the global marketplace.

Condo Challenge.(DEVELOPMENT)(Thereal estate market of Tampa Bag)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... As Tampa Bag's real estate market has cooled, the chill has hit some projects harder than others. When the Grand Bohemian Hotel & Residences opened its sales office last February in downtown St. Petersburg, developer Richard Kessler announced...

Tough sell.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Sales of existing condos declined 22% statewide during the first quarter of 2006. Overall, 15,386 condos were sold, compared to 19,657 in the first quarter of 2005. Prices, meanwhile, rose slightly During the first three months of the year. The...

Douglass Screen Printers.(Players)
September 1, 2006... Lisa Kaiser Hickey, president and CEO of Douglass Screen Printers in Lakeland, was elected president of the National Association of Women Business Owners for 2007-08.

Bonita Bay Group.(Players)
September 1, 2006... Jeff Heverling, former director of management information systems for the Bonita Bay Group, is the new vice president of InfiNetwork, a Naples-based IT consulting firm.

MacKenzie Equity Partners.(Players)
September 1, 2006... Brian Devlin, former principal with MacKenzie Equity Partners in Annapolis, Md., has joined the Tampa office of Trammell Crow Co. as vice president of real estate services.

'Dockominiums'.(MARINAS)(Yacht Clubs purchases marinas)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... In a recent $200-million deal, Fort Myers-based Yacht Clubs of the Americas purchased three marinas--one in Tampa, one in Naples and another in Key West--that it will redevelop into yacht clubs and market as "dockominiums," wet slips or drip...

The Sierra Club in July dropped its legal effort to block the development on Babcock Ranch after West Palm Beach developer Syd Kitson agreed to more concessions.(Babcock Ranch)(West Palm Beach)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- The Sierra Club in July dropped its legal effort to block the development on Babcock Ranch after West Palm Beach developer Syd Kitson agreed to more concessions. Kitson--who purchased the 91,000-acre ranch and sold back...

Publix Super Markets.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Publix Super Markets plans to build a 600,000-sq.-ft. distribution center on 87 acres at the Charlotte County Airport.

$10.6-million system to move traffic.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... CLEARWATER -- The city recently installed a $10.6-million system to move traffic along congested U.S. 19 and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. The system uses sensors, cameras, computers and advanced software to predict traffic flows and adjust signal...

Six years after merging, residential builders Lennar and US Home are marketing their homes under the Lennar name.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... FORT MYERS -- Six years after merging, residential builders Lennar and US Home are marketing their homes under the Lennar name in Collier, De Soto, Lee, Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Johnson Engineering.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Sixty-year-old Johnson Engineering was named to ZweigWhite's annual list of 100 fastest-growing engineering and architectural firms in the U.S. The company recently broke ground on a 35,000-sq.-ft. headquarters that will be completed next year....

Florida Addictions Institute.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... LEE COUNTY -- The Florida Addictions Institute will begin offering classes in October to train professionals to treat and prevent drug abuse as part of an 11-month certificate program. The institute, operated by the Lee County Coalition for a...

Competitiveness issues.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... NAPLES -- The Economic Development Council of Collier County is working with the Florida Gulf Coast University Regional Economic Research Institute to collect data on a number of competitiveness issues in the region's core business sector. The...

Barron Collier Cos.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... Barron Collier Cos. plans to develop a 165-acre industrial park between the town of Ave Maria and Immokalee.

Nohl Crest Homes.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... OLDSMAR -- Tampa Bay builder Nohl Crest Homes says it plans to build only "green" homes, featuring, among other things, less toxic paint, energy-efficient appliances and tankless water heaters.

Gyrocam Systems.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... SARASOTA -- High-tech manufacturer Gyrocam Systems was awarded a $43-million contract to outfit 67 Marine Corps vehicles with specialized camera equipment that can identify explosive devices from a distance.

Wireless network.(BUSINESS BRIEFS)
September 1, 2006... ST. PETERSBURG -- The city is studying whether there is a viable market for a wireless network that would be available to all residents for a fee.